Sen. Stacey Donato

Provides that if a person changes the exterior color or appearance of their passenger vehicle from the color listed in the vehicle's registration through certain methods, the person must apply to amend their vehicle registration, and that a law enforcement officer shall issue a warning to a person who does not update the person's registration to reflect the color changes. Provides that a person commits a Class C misdemeanor if the person changes the color of a passenger vehicle after it was used in the commission of a crime and fails to amend the vehicle registration. Requires the BMV to require a person renewing a registration to indicate if the vehicle's color has changed.

Defines "chronically absent". Requires the department of education (department) to do the following: (1) Create a list of best practices to reduce student discipline and absenteeism. (2) Study and prepare a report regarding the basis for the categorization of certain suspensions and expulsions. (3) Establish a categorization framework for excused absences based on the reason for the absence. (4) Collect certain information regarding absences from school corporations and charter schools and prepare and post a report regarding the information on the department's website. Provides that the absence policy adopted by the governing body of a school corporation must provide for the categorization of excused absences in accordance with the categorization framework established by the department. Allows a prosecuting attorney to conduct a meeting, collaborate, and make reasonable efforts to secure appropriate support services for a child and the child's family before filing an affidavit with regard to a violation of compulsory school attendance requirements. Amends the definition of "absent student" for purposes of the truancy prevention policy provisions. Requires a public school to hold an attendance conference not later than 10 instructional days (instead of five instructional days) after the student's fifth absence. Prohibits a public school from expelling or suspending a student solely because the student is chronically absent or a habitual truant.

Allows a state agency to use artificial intelligence software to prepare information and projections for the state budget. Requires a state agency to provide a quarterly report to the budget committee that details the requests submitted by the state agency for new federal funds or to participate in a new federal program. Provides that, in addition to the quarterly reports, a state agency may not immediately accept an award of new federal funds in certain circumstances or participate in a new federal program before a report has been reviewed by the budget committee. Specifies the contents of the report that must be submitted for budget committee review. Requires a state agency to provide the state comptroller with a contract for inclusion in the Indiana transparency website not later than 30 days after the contract is fully executed. Requires that permanent full-time positions which have been vacant for 90 days or more be reviewed and either reauthorized or eliminated by the budget director. Requires the budget director to provide a quarterly report to the governor's office regarding those positions that were reauthorized or eliminated by the budget director in the preceding three months. Requires a state agency to provide quarterly reports to the budget committee regarding the state agency's active contracts. Provides for the reversion of funds appropriated to a state agency for expenses related to a contract that are unused after the end of the contract term. Requires the department of administration (department) to develop certain contract language to be included in state contracts of $500,000 or more. Requires a state agency to provide a report to the budget committee concerning amendments to a contract that: (1) increase the maximum contract amount by not less than $500,000; or (2) for a contract with an initial maximum contract amount of not less than $500,000, extend the term of the contract by not less than six months. Prohibits a state agency from entering into a nonpublic contract. Requires all contract opportunities of state agencies to be posted in the form of a request for proposals or a request for quotations on the department's website at least 30 days prior to the contract being awarded. Requires the office of the secretary of family and social services and the office of Medicaid policy and planning to do the following: (1) Review monthly reports on the Medicaid program service utilization to identify trends and risks within the state Medicaid program. (2) Post publicly on the office of the secretary of family and social services's website monthly financial reports or expenditures and revenues for each state Medicaid program and commentary providing context for each monthly financial report. (3) Submit a quarterly report to the budget committee.

Provides that the commission on improving the status of children in Indiana (CISC) must create and provide staff support to a statewide youth, family, and caregiver engagement initiative to carry out certain duties. Adds that CISC must provide staff to the statewide juvenile justice oversight body.

Requires the department of education (department) to submit a report to the general assembly before November 1, 2025, that provides an analysis of the feasibility and cost of increasing school corporation employee health plan options. Creates the Indiana teacher recruitment program. Beginning June 30, 2025: (1) increases the minimum salary for a teacher employed by a school corporation to $45,000 (current law requires $40,000); and (2) requires a school corporation to expend an amount for teacher compensation that is not less than 65% of state tuition support (current law requires 62%). Amends the requirements for a school corporation and the department if the school corporation determines that the school corporation cannot meet minimum teacher salary requirements. Removes a provision that provides that the matrix rating system may not rank or compare teacher preparation programs.

Amends provisions regarding the surcharge rates established by the Indiana public retirement system to actuarially prefund certain postretirement benefits. Adds provisions requiring the treasurer of state to determine a surcharge amount that is to be paid into the supplemental reserve account for the state police pre-1987 and 1987 benefit systems. Provides for a thirteenth check in calendar year 2025 for certain members, participants, or beneficiaries of the: (1) Indiana state teachers' retirement fund; (2) Indiana public employees' retirement fund; (3) state excise police, gaming agent, gaming control officer, and conservation enforcement officers' retirement plan; (4) state police pre-1987 benefit system; and (5) state police 1987 benefit system. Makes conforming changes.

Requires a county election board to test certain voting machines to ensure that an absentee ballot can be retracted before tabulation of the ballot if the ballot is required to be rejected. Requires the public test of a voting system to test whether a rejected ballot is retracted. Voids a March 25, 2022, advisory opinion adopted by the Indiana election commission. Provides that, to be approved by the Indiana election commission for use in Indiana, a voting system must meet certain standards of the Voluntary Voting System Guidelines adopted by the United States Election Assistance Commission on February 10, 2021. Allows a county to continue to use an optical scan ballot card voting system or an electronic voting system if certain matters concerning the voting system were approved before October 1, 2025. Allows a voting system to include a retraction feature concerning certain votes cast on absentee ballots.

Provides that a project owner is not required to apply for or receive a zoning permit (permit), or any other land use or zoning approval, from a local authority for the construction of a facility, other than a wind power device or commercial solar energy system, for the generation of electricity (electric generation facility) if: (1) the Indiana utility regulatory commission (commission): (A) grants the project owner a certificate of public convenience and necessity for the construction; or (B) declines jurisdiction over the construction; (2) the electric generation facility will be located on a premise of land on which there was located as of January 1, 2025: (A) an existing electric generation facility with a generating capacity of at least 80 megawatts, regardless of whether the electric generation facility is operational; or (B) a former surface or underground mine; and (3) the project owner complies with specified notice and hearing requirements. Requires an applicant for a permit from a local authority to be given an extension of time if the applicant's failure to meet the application deadline was caused by unforeseen circumstances beyond the applicant's control. Provides that a deadline in an ordinance for commencing or completing a permitted use is tolled until two years after the conclusion of any litigation or regulatory proceeding regarding the granting of the permit. Sets deadlines for review of permit applications. Establishes requirements for development agreements. Provides that certain legal restrictions in effect at the time a permit is issued continue to apply unless the development is not completed within 10 years. Specifies that certain legal restrictions in effect at the time a development agreement is entered into apply for the period specified in the development agreement. Provides that the statute governing the approval of permits concerning zoning does not authorize the impairment of any vested right or abrogate any rights vested under common law. Specifies when land use rights are considered vested. Imposes other requirements upon the permit approval process. Authorizes a political subdivision or a local authority to prohibit, for a period of not more than one year, the siting, construction, installation, permitting, or deployment of a project (other than a project undertaken by specified entities) that involves the siting, construction, or deployment of facilities, equipment, or infrastructure used in the generation of electricity. Provides that a prohibition may not be extended or renewed for any length of time, regardless of when the prohibition first takes effect. Provides that after an advisory plan commission certifies a proposal to adopt, amend, or partially repeal the text of a zoning ordinance, the legislative body must take final action to adopt, amend, or reject the proposal. (Current law provides that after the legislative body acts on the proposal, the proposal returns to the plan commission for further proceedings.)

Amends the definitions of "discharge for just cause", "employment", and "gross misconduct" for purposes of unemployment insurance. Provides that an unemployment claimant: (1) is required to verify the claimant's identity before a claim can be filed, and as a condition for continued eligibility; and (2) has the right to request a wage investigation and to appeal the results of the investigation to a liability administrative law judge. Allows an unemployment claimant or employing unit to appeal regarding the claimant's status as an insured worker. Requires that all hearings before an administrative law judge or the unemployment insurance review board concerning disputed unemployment claims be set as telephone hearings, unless an objection is made. Allows a disputed unemployment claim to be directly filed with a liability administrative law judge. Provides that administrative records of the department of workforce development (department) are self-authenticating and admissible in an administrative hearing. Provides that the department may release certain confidential records to the extent permitted by federal law. Makes certain changes regarding the reemployment service and eligibility assessment program. Makes various changes regarding extended unemployment benefits. Provides that repayment of a benefits overpayment may be waived if certain conditions are met. Alters certain fee and payment provisions. Removes or alters notice and delivery requirements and extends certain deadlines. Requires the department to issue a written notice of violation to a person who fails to comply with certain authorization requirements. Provides that the department may assess a civil penalty against a person under certain circumstances. Requires civil penalties collected by the department to be deposited in the proprietary educational institution authorization fund. Establishes the unemployment insurance modernization fund (fund). Requires the department to annually submit a report to the budget committee detailing the expenditures made from the fund during the previous state fiscal year. Requires the department to annually submit a report to the budget committee concerning the status of the department's unemployment insurance program. Provides that the department may establish a reemployment pilot program. Makes conforming changes.

Requires the department of education (department), in collaboration with certain other state entities, to collect and maintain certain data and to publish on the department's website timely and relevant information about secondary education programs. Provides that the department shall administer and implement the comprehensive career navigation and coaching system developed by the commission for higher education and administer the career coaching grant fund (fund). Provides certain requirements for an eligible entity to receive a grant from the fund. Requires the department to prepare a report concerning career coaching and submit the report to the governor and general assembly. Requires the department of workforce development to update wage threshold data used to categorize career and technical education programs for use in the subsequent school year. Makes conforming changes.